Death toll rises to 18 in China tanker truck blast

BEIJING (AFP) - The number of people killed in a tanker truck explosion on a highway in eastern China has climbed to 18, with nearly 200 more injured, local authorities said Sunday (June 14).

The force of the blast on Saturday afternoon caused nearby homes and factories to collapse, the government said on social media, and sent huge clouds of black smoke billowing into the air as flames engulfed several cars.

China's emergency management department said Sunday morning there were 189 injured people still being treated in hospital, after the accident near Wenling city in the eastern province of Zhejiang.

Local authorities said the truck was loaded with liquified gas.

Dramatic video footage of the accident published by state media showed a huge ball of fire shooting into the air as people screamed.

In one clip, a large piece of debris is seen flying into the air before crashing onto some nearby buildings.

Another video shows the remains of the tanker and several truck tyres smashed into a building which had been reduced to rubble.

State news agency Xinhua reported Sunday that there was a second blast when the truck fell onto a workshop near the expressway after the first explosion.

Emergency responders were still carrying out search and rescue efforts, it added.

Multiple highway exits were closed, according to local police statements.

Deadly road accidents are common in China, where traffic regulations are often flouted or not enforced.

According to authorities 58,000 people were killed in accidents across the country in 2015 alone, the last available figures.

Violations of traffic laws were blamed for nearly 90 percent of accidents that caused deaths or injuries that year.

Last year at least 36 people died and 36 others were hurt in eastern China when a packed coach with a flat tyre collided with a truck.